Preview: Hearts of Oak vs Wydad Athletic Club – team news, stats, predictions, kick-off time, probable XIs

Hearts of Oak host the Moroccan giants at the Accra Sports Stadium in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second-round preliminary stage.

Congolese defender Raddy Ovouka may return for the Phobians to face Wydad Athletic Club, who have head coach Walid Regragui unavailable after testing positive for COVID-19.

follow Hearts of Oak vs Wydad Athletic Club in our dedicated live match blog; watch free match highlights on our JW player platform during and after the match which kicks off at 15.00 GMT.

Team news, stats, and prediction ahead of Hearts of Oak vs Wydad Athletic Club in the CAF Champions League on Sunday at the Accra Sports Stadium; kick-off at 15.00 pm.

Team News

Congolese defender Raddy Ovouka has returned to training and was even featured in last Sunday’s 6-1 friendly win over third-tier side Dzida FC at the Accra Sports Stadium. But, forward Kwadwo Obeng Junior, who scored 10 league goals last season, is still on the road to recovery. Meanwhile, between the period of Hearts of Oak’s victory over Guinean side CI Kamsar, the Phobians have lost midfielder Benjamin Afutu Kotey who has joined a newly-promoted Egyptian Premier League side. The 26-year-old’s name was submitted to CAF in Hearts of Oak’s squad for the competition but has since left the scene. Gladson Awako, the most decorated Ghanaian player on the local front, has still not resolved his issues and is not back at training. The former TP Mazembe midfielder won’t play a part in this tie.

Elsewhere in the camp of the Moroccan Botola Pro League side, head coach Walid Regragui has tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t be able to sit on the bench in the game. The Red Castle will be without several first-team players. Defender Sheikh Kumara could start the match despite suffering a broken nose. The two-time African champions touched down without ten key players who could’ve added a bite to their squad and probably help them to pick a favourable scoreline in Ghana. Wydad’s young goalkeeper Taha Mourid did not travel with the team to Accra due to an injury relay. Midfielder Soufiane Karkach did not also make the list to Accra due to an injury to his right foot. Influential player Reda Jaadi, who has enjoyed an incredible start to the season, didn’t travel with the squad due to an injury that he suffered while on international duty with Morocco in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Center-back Amine Aboulfath, who has won the club’s player of the month award this season, also didn’t travel with the squad.

How to follow

Follow Hearts of Oak vs Wydad Athletic Club in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Ghana Sports Online JW Player platform and social media handles during and after the match.

Ghana Sports Online’s Prediction

It’s a make-or-break tie for the Phobians at the Accra Sports Stadium judging by the history between Ghanaian clubs and their Moroccan counterparts. The Phobians must win and win decently if they are to enhance their chances of qualifying to the group stages of the CAF Champions League. Wydad, on the other hand, has been in decent form in the Moroccan Botola Pro League, having won 4 out of their opening 5 games of the season. Regardless, they are winless on Ghanaian soil losing all of their visits to the West African soil.

Hearts of Oak 2-0 Wydad Athletic Club

Opta stats

• Hearts of Oak have not conceded a goal in the competition so far. Scored 2 and conceded 0.
• Sunday’s clash will be the first time Wydad will kick a ball in the competition this season.
• Hearts of Oak scored 45 goals and conceded 23 times in 34 games in the Ghana Premier League last season, averaging 1.32 goals scored per game and 0.67 goals conceded per game. Hearts conceded a goal after every 133.04 minutes during last season’s Ghana Premier League.
• Hearts of Oak’s top scorer last season was Kwadwo Obeng Junior (10 goals) but he wasn’t involved when the Phobians defeated CI Kamsar 2-0. Returnee forward Kofi Kordzi and youngster Salim Adams registered the goals for Samuel Boadu’s side.
• Wydad has played 5 games in the 2021/22 Botola Pro League (W4 D1 L0).
• Wydad has scored 8 goals and conceded 2.
• Wydad has kept 4 clean sheets out of the 5 league games played so far.
• Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak, Ashanti Gold SC, Ebusua Dwarfs, King Faisal, Berekum Chelsea, Aduana Stars, and Medeama SC have all faced Moroccan oppositions in CAF interclub competitions.
• FAR Rabat, Raja, WAC, KAC Marrakech, COD Meknes, MAS Fes, IZ Khemisset, and RS Berkane have all played against Ghanaian clubs in the past.
• Ghanaian clubs have faced Moroccan clubs 13 times in knock-out stages. The North African have been able to eliminate Ghanaian clubs on Six (6) occasions while Ghanaian clubs have advanced to the next stage 7 times.
• Head-to-Head in a knock-out stage including grand-final 1997 Champions League final and 2002 Cup Winners Cup final – 15 meetings. Moroccan clubs have gone through on 8 Occasions while Ghanaian teams have also gone through on 7 times.
• Ghanaian clubs have met Wydad 10 times. 5 wins for Ghana, 3 losses, and 2 draws.
• Wydad against Ghanaian clubs in knock-out competitions – 5 meetings. Ghanaian clubs have won 3 times while Wydad has won twice.
• 1987: WAC 1-1 Kotoko & Kotoko 2-0 WAC, 2000: WAC 2-1 Dwarfs & Dwarfs 2-0 WAC, 2002: WAC 1-0 kotoko & Kotoko 2-1 WAC, 2004: Kotoko 2-0 WAC & WAC 1-1 Kotoko, 2011: WAC 3-0 Aduana & Aduana 1-0 WAC
• Ghanaian clubs have faced Moroccan clubs 18 times on Ghanaian soil since 1987. Ghana has won 14, drawn 3, and lost 1 while scoring 35 goals in the process.

Hearts of Oak’s probable XI

Richard Attah – Fatawu Mohammed, Raddy Ovouka, Robert Addo Sowah, Mohammed Alhassan – Caleb Amankwah, Frederick Ansah Botchway, Emmanuel Nettey, Ibrahim Salifu – Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, Kofi Kordzi

Wydad Athletic Club’s probable XI

Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti – Yahya Attiat-Allal, Salaheddine Benyachou, Sheikh Kumara, Achraf Dari – Ayoub El Amloud, Aymane El Hassouni, Zouheir El Moutaraji, Yahya Jabrane – Simon Msuva, Anas Serrhat

Follow the writer on Twitter: @Akwasiakyereko

The post Preview: Hearts of Oak vs Wydad Athletic Club – team news, stats, predictions, kick-off time, probable XIs appeared first on Ghana Sports Online.

Source: Sports